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It’s that time again! Having finalized the RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) test results from Plugfest 29, the IBTA is pleased to announce the availability of the new RoCE Interoperability List. Designed to support data center managers, CIOs and other IT decision makers with their planned RoCE deployments for enterprise and high performance computing, the latest edition features a growing number of cable and equipment vendors and Ethernet test speeds.

In April 2016, Plugfest 29 saw nine member companies submit RoCE capable RNICS, switches, QFSP, QFSP28 and SFP28 cables for interoperability testing. This is an encouraging sign for the RoCE ecosystem as more and more vendors begin to offer solutions that are proven to work seamlessly with each other, regardless of brand. Furthermore, the new list now features 50 and 100 GbE test scenarios, which complements the IBTA’s existing 10, 25 and 40 GbE interoperability testing. This expansion gives RoCE deployers confidence in knowing that as they integrate faster Ethernet speeds in their systems, their applications can still leverage the advantages of tested RDMA technology.

The RoCE Interoperability List is created twice a year following bi-annual IBTA-sponsored Plugfests, which take place at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL). The IBTA Integrators’ Program, made up of both the InfiniBand Integrators’ List and the RoCE Interoperability List, is founded on rigorous testing procedures that establish compliance and real-world interoperability.

The InfiniBand Integrators’ List, which features InfiniBand Host Channel Adapters (HCAs), switches, SCSI Remote Protocol (SRP) targets and cables, will be available soon via the IBTA Integrators’ List page. Additionally, mark your calendars for Plugfest 30 – October 17-29, 2016 at UNH-IOL. Registration information and event details will be available on the IBTA Plugfest page in the coming month.

We are excited to announce the availability of our latest InfiniBand Integrators’ List and RoCE Interoperability List. The two lists make up the backbone of our Integrators’ Program and are designed to support data center managers, CIOs and other IT decision makers with their planned InfiniBand and RoCE deployments for enterprise and high performance computing systems. To keep data up to date and as useful as possible, both documents are refreshed twice a year following our bi-annual plugfests, which are held at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL).

Having recently finalized the results from Plugfest 28, we can report a significant increase in InfiniBand EDR 100 Gb/s submissions compared to the last Integrators’ List. This trend demonstrates a continued industry demand for InfiniBand-based systems that are capable of higher bandwidth and faster performance. The updated list features a variety of InfiniBand devices, including Host Channel Adapters (HCAs), Switches, SCSI Remote Protocol (SRP) targets and cables (QDR, FDR and EDR).

Additionally, we held our second RoCE interoperability event at Plugfest 28, testing 10, 25 and 40 GbE RNICs, Switches and SFP+, SFP28, QSFP and QSFP28 cables. Although a full spec compliance program is still under development for RoCE, the existing interoperability testing offers solid insight into the ecosystem’s robustness and viability. We plan to continue our work creating a comprehensive RoCE compliance program at Plugfest 29. RoCE testing at Plugfest 29 will include testing of more than 16 different 10, 25, 40, 50 and 100 GbE RNICs and Switches along with all of the various cables to support these devices. Plugfest 29 testing of RoCE products, which use Ethernet physical and link layers, will be the most comprehensive interoperability testing ever performed.

As always, we’d like to thank the leading vendors that contributed test equipment to IBTA Plugfest 28. These invaluable members include Anritsu, Keysight Technologies, Matlab, Molex, Tektronix, Total Phase and Wilder Technologies.

The next opportunity for members to test InfiniBand and RoCE products is Plugfest 29 is scheduled for April 4-15, 2016 at UNH-IOL. Event details and registration information are available here.

I was at Interop last week where the IBTA issued a press release regarding the growth of InfiniBand in both the HPC and EDC markets (review analyst reports). While there, I had some time to walk the show floor and check out the latest developments and announcements from a multitude of exhibitors.

I’m still pondering my take on Interop this year… it’s been a while since I’ve seen so many abandoned spaces on the show floor. Mind you - most were 10×10 or 10×20 spots - but you could tell there were others who went light on their presence. I saw one exhibitor that had a 40×40 booth and just filled it with banner stands. Yikes! So nothing was really grabbing at me - until I went to Fusion-io’s booth and saw the wall of monitors with 1,000 videos playing all at once.